The gangsa palook (also known as agung palok) is a set of Javanese musical instruments composed of ten bossed gongs, and two knobbed gongs. The ten bossed gongs include five large and five small ones, while the two knobbed gongs include a large and a small one.
Function of Gangsa Palook
Gangsa palook is used as an accompanying instrument for various traditional Javanese performing arts, such as wayang kulit (leather shadow puppetry), wayang wong (human puppetry), and ketoprak (traditional Javanese folk theater). It serves to provide rhythm and enhance the overall musical ambiance of these performances.
Playing Technique
The gangsa palook is played by striking the gongs with wooden mallets. The musician holds the mallets in both hands and strikes the gongs in specific sequences and rhythms, creating melodic patterns that complement the main melody or vocal performance.
Placement
In a traditional Javanese gamelan orchestra, the gangsa palook is usually placed in front of the other gongs and metallophones, closer to the audience. This positioning allows for better projection of the sound and ensures that the gangsa palook's intricate rhythms can be heard clearly.